Digital Homicide developer James Romine has been granted a subpoena order against Valve over the identities of 100 Steam users.

Romine, who filed the lengthy subpoena on September 12th, showed evidence that 100 different users on Steam who have made statements about the indie developer in the past. Romine, who collected numerous photographs of several Steam users speaking negatively about their products, is demanding $18,000,000 by these 100 Steam users in damages for “personal injury.” Judge Eileen Willett sided with Romine, granting him a subpoena for “early discovery” to uncover the Steam user’s identities.

The evidence presented included several scanned screenshots of Steam users accusing Digital Homicide for stealing assets for their games, as well as accusing the company as being “con artists” who “stalk and harass” anyone who voices their displeasure in them.

And now Steam has removed all there games and won't be doing business with them

We reported earlier today that Digital Homicide is suing 100 Steam users for $18 million. In addition, they filed subpoena against Valve for information about the users in order to be able to pursue the matter. At the time of that report, Valve had taken no action on the matter, but it appears that reprieve has ended.

First spotted by Twitter user lashman (@RobotBrush), it appears that all of Digital Homicide’s games have been removed from Steam, and they are not listed as a developer on the storefront.

I can't tell if this guy is delusional or trying (and failing) some kind of long con. A fascinating meltdown, either way.

Don't get me wrong, dickheads on the internet talking death threats is a very poor show. But these guys turning around desperate to start suing people after having sent Jim Sterling "We know where you live!" messages is just...

Digital Homicide, the maker of games including The Slaughtering Grounds, ET: The Extra-Large Testicle, and Not In My Crapper, recently made the astounding decision to sue 100 anonymous Steam users for $18 million over nasty comments they'd made about the studio's work. In response, Valve removed all of the studio's games from Steam, prompting Digital Homicide to threaten legal action against it as well. But last week it requested that the lawsuit be dismissed, because it can no longer afford to pursue it.

"Upon filing this case, per advice of the local sheriff who could not help me or my business with a massive ARS-13-2921 criminal harassment problem on an Internet Store front and via email, The Plaintiffs business was destroyed completely financially disabling The Plaintiff, destroying usability of all current work effort, and untold other damages," the filing says. It seeks one of two options: A refund of the court filing fee and dismissal of the case without prejudice, or, if the filing fee is non-refundable, a 90-day extension on the action, presumably to give Digital Homicide time to scrape a few bucks together so it can continue the fight.

Digital Homicide co-founder James Romine Jr. told Techraptor that he believes the case is "solid," but the removal of the games from Steam crippled the studio financially. In fact, not only is the lawsuit withdrawn (or paused), but Digital Homicide itself is apparently now defunct.

"[Digital Homicide is] destroyed. It's been stomped into the ground from a thousand directions and use is discontinued," he said. "I’m going back into the workforce and watching what’s really going on. Not gaming media gossip—the real stories are in the legal documents. Not talking about mine."

Nonetheless, it's possible that the action could be resurrected at some point, in part or in whole: A dismissal without prejudice leaves the door open for Romine to re-file the lawsuit in the future. I've reached out to the studio for more information, including whether the request for a refund/dismissal or extension have been granted, and will update if and when I receive a reply.

I feel sorry for the people who worked there, but it still astonishes me that they think they can sue folks for saying their games are crap. At the end of the day, its opinion and in the good ol USA, they tend to value opinion and freedom of speech highly. Which is why its hard to sue people for slander etc over there.

If you deliver something to the public, who then pay money for it. They have a right to say its crap, if they believe it to be.